


Two Princes

by eerian_sadow



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Forced Marriage, Multi, reward fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-06-30 13:24:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19854079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: When the king of Kaon died, his twin sons took over the kingdom. Now, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe have to take a bondmate to ensure the succession. When offered a chance to marry into the noble family, the king of the tiny nation of Tetrahex jumped at the chance. But not everything is as it seems...





	Two Princes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fuzipenguin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzipenguin/gifts).



> A reward fic for FuziPenguin, filling the prompt: Wheeljack/Twins, airy

_ Several meta-cycles ago, in Kaon _

_“My lords, you must take a sparkmate. At least one of you, at any rate. One of you must produce a legitimate heir to secure your sparkline and prevent one of your cousins from doing it for you.” Their advisor, Regent, sighed. “Primus knows that they've tried before.”_

_Sideswipe looked at Sunstreaker with a frown. “We don't want a mate and we don't want sparklings. We've told you that.”_

_“And you remember the priest and healers when we were younger,” Sunstreaker added. “We probably can't even have our own sparklings.”_

_“What the priests and healers said has no bearing on the fact that your cousins, especially that brute Motormaster, would happy assassinate you and place one of their own spawn on the throne. You cannot tell me that you want your people to suffer through that sort of reign.”_

_Sunstreaker sighed deeply and Sideswipe growled. “No.”_

_“Exactly. Now, choose someone to bond with, or let me send out the matchmaker.”_

_The red twin’s angry growl shifted to a resigned sigh. “Fine.”_

_“But we barely know any of the other princes,” Sunstreaker said with a shrug. “We'll use the matchmaker. But we want to meet with any potential bondmate they find for us first. If we have to take one, then they're going to have to meet some standards.”_

_“Of course, your highness.” Regent gave them a tight smile. “I will summon the matchmaker immediately.”_

“WHEELJACK!!!” 

Wheeljack turned at his sire's shout, irritation turning his lips down in a frown. “What? I don't have to be on the shuttle for another ten joors!”

His sire stomped into the small workshop and gestured at the half-assembled music box on the workbench. “I swear to Primus himself, I will disown you if this trinket makes you late! You cannot allow your useless hobby to jeopardize this agreement or your future!”

“I've told you before, this isn't a hobby. And this isn't just another one of my inventions.” Wheeljack looked away from his sire and back toward the music box. “It's my bonding gift for the prince. If you're forcing me to get bonded, at least let me do it right.”

He could feel his sire's optics narrow in anger, but Wheeljack didn't look up again. He just kept sliding the pieces of the outer casing into place, so he could seal the seams and be on the shuttle before he made everyone late.

“Fine.” Cloth fluttered as his sire turned around too quickly, barely concealing his anger. “You have six joors to be at the shuttle.”

“Yes, sire.” Six joors meant he would have to apply the sealant during the flight. His sire deserved to fly with his vents full of the smell. 

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stood next to each other on the landing platform, with arms crossed and identical scowls on their faces. The shuttle from Tetrahex was late due to some kind of engine malfunction partway through the trip, which was going to make the ceremony late and that would throw off all of their carefully balanced plans for the rest of the meta-cycle. The trade negotiation with Iacon would have to be postponed, which would make them lose ground. the peace negotiation with Polyhex would likely stop completely and they would have another vorn’s worth of hostilities until a new chief might be willing to negotiate again. And the ambassador from Vos was being blown off completely while they waited, which might be a declaration of war among the flyers, but no one was sure.

The situation had the twin princes in a foul mood by the time the shuttle finally touched down and the doors opened to allow the passengers to disembark. 

“Something’s not right.” Sunstreaker’s optics narrowed as the first passenger, a tall mech wrapped from head to toe in concealing layers of gauzy cloth, stepped out. The twins could see his optics and his hands, which were holding a box wrapped in gold foil, and nothing else. “He’s too tall.”

“His optics weren’t blue, either.” Sideswipe stepped closer to Sunstreaker and continued to glare. A second mech, shorter than the first and most definitely the mech they had met with and _thought_ they were bonding with, stepped out next and immediately approached the princes. “Sunny, I think we’ve been had.”

“Well, we can’t figure it out on the landing pad in front of everyone. We’ll have to wait until we’re inside.” The golden mech’s frown didn’t shift, but he did square his shoulders and uncross his arms as the pair approached while their staff unloaded their belongings and the rest of the passengers stepped off the shuttle. “Prince Gleam, welcome to Kaon. I am glad you arrived safely.”

“As am I.” Gleam gave them an insincere smile. “Though, without the quick thinking of your intended, we might still be stranded in Tarn.”

The twins exchanged a look, then Sideswipe asked carefully, “Our intended…?”

The cloth covered mech looked down at the ground. Prince Gleam clamped a hand on his shoulder, tight enough to wrinkle the delicate fabric. “Forgive my rudeness. This is my eldest, Wheeljack. Your intended, as agreed.”

Sunstreaker crossed his arms again as the last piece they needed to understand the situation slid into place. ”Of course, forgive us, Prince Wheeljack. Neither of us recognized you in your ceremonial regalia.”

Wheeljack glanced back up, clearly startled that Sunstreaker was playing along with his sire’s manipulations.

“I fragging knew it,” Sideswipe murmured, voice so soft that Sunstreaker only heard because he was listening for it. Then he turned on his most charming smile and extended his elbow to Wheeljack. “Please, allow me to escort you to the conservatory, where we can get to know each other while the priests finish preparations.”

“Oh!” Wheeljack turned to his sire for a moment before replying hesitantly. “Its, um, against the traditions of our people to spend time alone with our future spouse the day of the ceremony.”

“Its against ours, too,” Sideswipe assured him. “But we won't be alone. Our chief advisor Regent will be there to help finalize a few details while we talk.”

“That's all right then.” Their intended glanced at his sire again, then secured the package he was carrying under one arm before resting his hand on Sideswipe's elbow.

Wheeljack squared his shoulders in a move that felt a little defiant, especially given the glare Gleam was giving him, and let Sideswipe turn him toward the door to the conservatory. Sunstreaker approved of the action with a small smirk.

“I believe that I should be present as well,” Prince Gleam said, stepping toward the departing pair. “Especially if we are formalizing--”

“We aren't bonding to you, Prince Gleam.” Sunstreaker stepped in front of the visiting mech. “We are bonding to your offspring, _as agreed_. I cannot imagine what additional input you might have at this stage, unless you plan to spend the night in our bedroom as well.”

Gleam stared at him for a long moment. “But… the treaty!”

“Can be discussed with Regent after the ceremony. And after Prince Sideswipe and I have had time to review it for any unauthorized changes.”

The foreign prince's jaw dropped open and he stared at Sunstreaker. 

“Our captain of the guard will escort you to the main hall for the ceremony. If your input is required for anything, one of the priests will come to you.” Sunstreaker gestured to the line of guards behind him and a blue femme stepped forward. “Chromia, please ensure that Prince Gleam is seated according to his station.”

“As you command,” Chromia replied with a smirk. “This way, Prince Gleam.”

Wheeljack stood awkwardly next to the table in the conservatory, the box that he had been carrying set next to the drinks Regent had set out for them. Sideswipe tried not to wring his hands nervously, because he wasn’t sure what to do now, but the mech clearly needed at least a little comforting now that he was out of sight of his sire.

“Hey, you can sit if you want. We’ve got a groon or two before the priests finish setting everything up now.” 

“No, thank you.” Wheeljack shook his head, then immediately reached up to check the fabric covering his face. “I don’t want to wrinkle the cloth.”

“Oh. Okay.” Sideswipe shrugged. “I just want you to be comfortable.”

“I don’t think I’ll be comfortable in Kaon for a while.”

“Why not?” He was genuinely curious. He knew Kaon had a bad reputation among several of the other kingdoms, but Wheeljack had to have seen how beautiful it really was on the flight in.

“You have to ask that?” Their intended turned and stared at him with wide optics. “I don’t even know which one of you I’m being bonded to!”

Sideswipe felt his own optics go wide. “Oh. Oh, slag they didn’t tell you?”

“Didn’t tell him what?” Sunstreaker stepped into the room and interrupted before Wheeljack could reply. 

Sideswipe turned his still-shocked expression on his twin. “Probably anything, but he thinks he’s only bonding with one of us.”

From his post in the corner, Regent made a strangled noise and Sideswipe couldn’t tell if he was surprised or angry, or a combination of both. 

“Stop that.” Sunstreaker glanced at their advisor with a frown. “We can’t kill Wheeljack’s sire, even if he’s already broken the contract twice.”

“Please don’t. My brother will be worse.” wheeljack’s shoulders slumped.

“We won’t. At least, not unless he declares war.” Sunstreker stepped up to his brother’s side. “Tell us what he told you about the bonding contract.”

“That I was being removed from the line of succession so that I could bond with the Prince of Kaon. And that the ceremony was today.” Wheeljack looked away from them. “I would have asked sooner, but I forgot that you were the Twin Princes until I saw you.”

“We’re split sparked twins,” Sunstreaker told him.

“That means you can’t bond to just one of us.” Sideswipe bit his lip. “I mean, maybe on paper, but not a sparkbond.”

Wheeljack finally sat down in one of the chairs, shock clear in his optics before he covered his face with his hands. “Oh. Oh, Primus. _Both of you?!_ I’ve never even been courted by one mech, and now I’m just supposed to bond with the two of you?”

“Normally, this is where we would let you just walk away, since you sire already violated the contract we signed.” Sunstreaker gave him a weak smile. “We don’t want someone who’s unwilling, and we don’t want to traumatize you.”

“Too late,” Wheeljack choked out.

“Yeah, we know.” Sideswipe sighed. “But our claim on the throne has always been shaky at best, because our sire wasn’t ever bonded and we’re not really considered legitimate. We were just more legitimate than our cousins.”

“So getting bonded to another prince helps us establish that we’re serious about running Kaon, and sets up any heirs we produce as legitimate.” Sunstreaker stepped away from Sideswipe and knelt down in front of Wheeljack. “We won't ever do anything else you don’t want, as long as you’ll bond with us. We’ll even give you anything you want.”

“I just want to help people, the way I did at home.”

“Hey, Sunny said anything you wanted. He meant it.” Sideswipe crouched down next to his twin and rested a hand on the other mech’s knee. “I don’t know what you did in Tetrahex, but I’m sure it’s something Kaon can benefit from, too.” 

Slowly, Wheeljack nodded and pulled his hands away from his optics. “I taught some of the younglings who couldn’t afford school. And I was in charge of making sure fuel distribution was fair and that the energon was pure. I could do that here.”

“Placing your bonded in charge of fuel safety and distribution would send a clear sign to the people that you were interested in their well-being,” Regend added from the corner. 

“Regent handled all of that stuff before we were old enough to take the throne,” Sunstreaker said with a real smile. “So if he says it’s a good idea, then it is. And if you want to do some teaching too, I don’t see why you couldn’t. Kaon’s full of younglings who could be more than miners or mercenaries with the right opportunity.”

“Then yes.” Wheeljack squared his shoulders and looked at each of the twins in the optics. “I will stay, and become your bonded mate. And when we’ve gotten to know each other better, maybe more.”

 _”Thank you,_ ” Sunstreaker said earnestly. 

“There is one problem, though.” 

The twins exchanged worried glances. Hesitantly, Sideswipe asked, “What’s that?”

“I only made one bonding gift.”

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker both laughed. “We share everything anyway,” the red twin told him. “It’s fine.”

“Oh.” Wheeljcak hesitated for a moment. “Would you do me the honor of opening it here, then? It’s not tradition, but I think I would rather see your reactions before we’re all too tired to care.”

“Sure. Is it the box you carried off the shuttle?” Sunstreaker asked.

“It is.” Wheeljack reached over to the refreshment table and picked it up. “I’m honestly surprised my sire didn’t throw it out while I was repairing the engine. He doesn’t approve of my technical abilities.”

“He doesn’t know a valuable skill when it strands him in the desert. I couldn’t repair an engine if I was drifting into the sun,” Sidewipe told him, taking the box from their intended as Wheeljack held it out. 

“If we ever treat you like you and your skills aren’t valuable, I expect to hear about it,” Sunstreaker added. Then he peered at the box. “Is this real gold?”

“Just leaf. I didn’t want to waste it before I left, so I pressed it into the wrapping. It’s reusable, if you think that you’ll ever need it.” Wheeljack ducked his head, obviously embarrassed.

“It’s a nice touch. I was just worried that you’d wrapped our gift in enough gold to pay for a season’s worth of energon harvesting.” Sunstreaker smiled again. Then he gestured impatiently for Sideswipe to unwrap the box.

Sideswipe grinned at his twin, then reached for the edge of the wrapping. He tugged gently, then was surprised when it unfolded rather than coming unglued or tearing. “That’s really smart! Can you teach me how to do that later?”

“Uh, sure.” Wheeljack sounded flustered. “Whenever you want.”

“Thanks!” Sideswipe continued unfolding the wrapping, then handed it to his brother when a wooden box was finally revealed. It gleamed a golden brown in the artificial sunlight of the conservatory, and Sideswipe stared at it for several long moments.

“It was my carrier’s,” Wheeljack said softly. “He gave it to me when I was younger, not long before he passed on to the Well. His family was a lot wealthier than my sire’s.”

The red mech held the box like the priceless treasure it was. “This is amazing. I’ve never even seen real wood before.”

“I’ve only ever seen it once, in Iacon,” Sunstreaker added. Carefully, he reached out to touch the box. “It’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it, but you should actually open it. Your real gift is inside.”

“You could have given us nothing but this.” Sideswipe knew he sounded faintly awed. “I think it’s worth more than the entire treasury.”

Wheeljack shook his head. “Kaon isn’t _that_ poor.”

Sunstreaker laughed once, bitterly. “It wasn’t before our sire died, anyway. Our uncles and cousins are not frugal.”

“Not so different from Tetrahex, then. I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be. We’ll make it better than it was while he was alive.” Sunstreaker’s voice was firm.

“Slagging right we will.” Sideswipe nodded in agreement. 

“I promise, I’ll do all I can to help. This is my home now, too.” Wheeljack reached for the box. “Now if you won’t open it, I will.”

Each twin reached out with a free hand and grabbed one of Wheeljack’s. Sideswipe held onto the box while Sunstreaker reached for the lid.

“No, we’ve got this,” Sunstreaker told him. Then he lifted the lid and revealed a second, smaller gold box inside, nestled in a bed of more of the same gauzy cloth Wheeljack was wrapped in. Carefully, the golden twin lifted the second box out and Sideswipe closed the wooden box and set it back on the table.

“That one opens, too,” Wheeljack told them softly.

Sideswipe nodded and reached for the lid of the gold box. He lifted it carefully, and a klik later a soft melody began playing. “You _made_ this?”

“Um, yeah.” The confidence he had found earlier faded and Wheeljack looked back down at his lap. 

“It’s beautiful.” Sunstreaker released Wheeljack’s hand so that he could close the lid and open it again to restart the music. “I can’t even see the hinges.”

“I did my best to hide them,” Wheeljack admitted. “I wanted it to look good wherever you decided to keep it, even if you couldn’t hide the back.”

“We’ll keep it in our room, with all the other things that matter.” Sideswipe looked away from the music box with a bright smile for their intended.

The priests came to fetch Wheeljack long before the twins were ready to let him go. They had gotten him to open up a bit after they had tucked his priceless gifts away safely, and had been delighted by the quick wit and bright sense of humor he had been hiding. 

Even if they never reached a point where they tried to produce heirs, Wheeljack would be a good friend. Both of them were sure of it.

Not long after Wheeljack had been led away, a second set of priests came for the twins. They were taken to a dressing room where their normally immaculate finishes were touched up and they were given a brief reminder of the steps in the ceremony, before being draped with the heavy, traditional fur cloaks that denoted their station. 

Then, finally, they were led back out of the dressing room and into the Great Hall. 

The royal guard snapped to attention as they stepped through the doors, signaling the small chorus to begin chanting the ritual blessings. Some members of the court joined in as the princes began walking across the floor, past their seats to the altar at the front of the room. 

The altar, where Wheeljack was kneeling like the sacrifice his sire had tried to turn him into.

Their intended turned his head slightly as they approached, watching from the periphery of his vision until the twins stopped at his side. He looked nervous again, so Sideswipe leaned a bit to the side and whispered, “You’re going to do great here.”

The corners of wheeljack’s optics crinkled in a smile and he looked forward again. His nervousness wasn’t gone, they could both see it in the set of his shoulders, but it was better than what had been there before.

Sunstreaker broke tradition and reached out for their intended’s hand. Wheeljack startled, but didn’t hesitate to lace his fingers in with the golden mech’s. A little more of the nervousness bled away. 

Sideswipe was ready when the Tetrahexian reached for his hand, and he mirrored his twin’s position with a smile. The head priest looked irritated, but he didn’t stop chanting.

“Thank you for trusting us,” Sunstreaker whispered as the priests finished their chant. 

The trio were forced to focus on the priests before Wheeljack could answer, but the way he squeezed their hands was reply enough for both twins. They continued the ceremony with only a few more breaks from tradition.

“So how are we supposed to do this?” Sunstraker ran careful fingers along the edges of the cloth covering their mate. “Is there an end we pull or…?”

“Oh, uh.” Wheeljack’s nervousness, mostly banished during the ceremony, returned full force and his shoulders hunched up. “You’re supposed to cut it off. I’m actually sewed in.”

“Sewed in?” Sideswipe blinked. “That’s the dumbest thing I've heard all solar cycle.”

“I think it’s supposed to be one of those symbolic things. A long time ago in Tetrahex, mates were kidnapped from other kingdoms.” Wheeljack twisted, trying to look at the back of the garment. “It can’t be that good a job. My sire’s attendants did it on the shuttle after I fixed the engine.”

“Hold still and let me look.” the golden twin rested his hands on their mate’s shoulders as he stepped behind the Tetrahexian. “Because we’re not going to tear up this fabric just to re-create some ancient tradition.”

“Not if we can help it anyway,” Sideswipe added.

Wheeljack stilled, though he was still looking over his shoulder. “I’d rather not waste it, either. Even if we don’t know what we’ll use it for, yet.”

“Maybe we’ll line the crib with it, if we ever get around to having sparklings.” The red twin gave them a crooked grin to let them know he was joking.

“Don’t be an idiot, Sideswipe.” Sunstreaker looked up at his twin long enough to scowl. “This would be terrible for a sparkling. And give me you dagger, I found the end of the thread.”

“I thought we weren’t cutting it?” Wheelajck sounded confused.

“We’re not, but I don’t have scissors. I don’t even know if there’s a pair in the entire palace.” Sunstreaker reached out, waiting for his brother’s weapon. “I’m not going to chew it apart like a rodent, either.”

“Here.” Sideswipe laid his smallest dagger in his brother’s hand. “Don’t drop it, I just had that chip in the blade fixed.”

“If he does, I’m pretty sure the fabric will catch it before it hits the floor,” Wheeljack replied.

“I’m not going to drop it.” Sunstreaker pulled the dagger away from his brother and focused back on the fabric. Carefully, he nudged the tip of the blade between two layers and sawed through a bundle of thread.

Immediately, the entire bundle of fabric loosened and started to slip away from Wheeljack’s head. Sideswipe reached up and pushed it away from the other mech’s face while Sunstreaker started unwrapping him.

Wheeljack smiled shyly, highlighting a scar that bisected his upper lip and stopped the red twin’s ventilations for a moment. “So what do you think?”

“You didn’t say you had a scar.” Sideswipe kenw it was a stupid thing to say the moment it came out, but he was too surprised to stop the words.

“Oh. that.” Wheeljack looked down at the floor.

“Sideswipe likes scars.” Sunstreaker didn’t stop unwinding the airy fabric, lifting it over Wheeljack’s head and revealing more of their mate’s intricate helm design. 

“He’s right, I do.” Sideswipe reached forward and rested his hand on their mate’s freshly revealed cheekplate. He rubbed his thumb over the scar gently. “But it’s not just that. Scars are a sign of strength in Kaon. The rest of the court will respect you more for it.”

“Frag the court.” Sunstreaker used one hand to tip Wheeljack’s head up so that he could unwind fabric from his throat. “The people will love it. They don’t see enough nobles with scars.”

“I don’t really care what the court or the people think about it.” Wheeljack bit his lower lip for a klik. Sideswipe moved his thumb away from the scar and rubbed against the other mech’s cheek instead. “You really don’t think… It’s really all right?”

“More than all right.” Sideswipe smiled. “In fact, I kind of want to kiss it.”

Sunstreaker laughed softly. 

Wheeljack blinked. “Um. okay?”

“Is that a question or permission?” 

The Tetrahexian stared for a moment longer before smiling back. “Permission.”

Sideswipe didn’t hesitate to lean down and press his lips against Wheeljack’s scar. 

Groons later, they were tangled in the twins’ bed, half covered with blankets and curled together more comfortably than Wheelajck would have ever expected. Bonding his spark to theirs had been decidedly weird, the mix of energies as pleasurable as it was painful and the emotional input almost overwhelming. 

The sense of contentment and pride he could still feel from each of them was also weird, but he couldn’t deny that he appreciated being buoyed up by their confidence. 

“Stop thinking so hard,” Sideswipe mumbled, nuzzling his face into Wheelajck’s shoulder. “I don’t want to get up and bare my spark to the priests yet.”

“It’s not morning yet. We don’t have to be at the hospital until then.” Wheeljack shifted, trying to make himself a bit more comfortable on the plush pillows they had piled on the bed. 

“He’s just grumpy because his spark feels different.” Sunstreaker rolled away from Wheeljack for a moment to stretch before mirroring his twin’s pose on the Tetrehexian’s other side. “Sometimes Sides has to warm up to things a little.”

“It’s weird for me, too. If that helps.” Wheeljack gave them a crooked smile. “Books don’t really prepare you for how it feels.”

“We’ve been bonded our entire lives, and we still weren’t prepared,” Sustreaker assured him. “Hey, can I ask you something serious?”

“Sure.”

“The music box I understand, but why did you give us your creator’s wooden box? That has to be precious to you.”

Wheeljack’s smile fell away as he searched for the words to explain. The box was precious, and he hadn’t wanted to give it up at all. “I hoped it would be safer here than if I left it in Tetrahex. My sire will throw out anything I left there when he goes home. I couldn’t bring it unless it was useful, though. He only let me pack the necessities.”

“What a slagger.” Sideswipe slid an arm over Wheeljack’s chest and hugged him. “You should put it in your room, then. It matters to you.”

“But I gave it to you!”

“And we’re giving it back.” Sunstreaker smiled and slid his arm across Wheeljack’s chest just below his twin’s. “Gleam might think that you and your things are disposable, but he’s wrong. You don’t have to just hope that we’ll keep your creator’s box forever, and we’ll figure out how to replace anything else you need too.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Wheeljack wrapped an arm around each twin and held them tightly, trying not to cry.

“Sure we do,” Sideswipe said, nuzzling him again.

“We’re partners now,” Sunstreaker added. “We’re in this together.”

“ _Thank you_.” Wheeljack thought his spark might explode from the sudden happiness he felt at actually being wanted. But he could feel that they truly wanted him there now, and that they were determined to make a better life here than he had lived before in Tetrahex.

Tentatively, he let himself believe that they would do it.

**Author's Note:**

> Like what I'm doing? Visit me on Tumblr for more fic, and ways to get a fic like this for yourself!  
>  https://eerian-sadow.tumblr.com/
> 
> Don't do Tumblr? Find me on Dreamwidth and Pillowfort! https://eerian-sadow.dreamwidth.org/ or https://www.pillowfort.io/eerian_sadow


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